"Your ability isn't bad, big chested beauty. Did we strike a nerve?"

Sael's ability wasn't one that was publicly known. It was often difficult to tell what a person's ability was unless it was far too outside the norm. Something like the combination of techniques Sael had just used were most definitely too out there to not be an ability.

Her eye technique, especially, made Aphestus quite serious despite the grin on his face. She had only landed two of those tattoos on him, but just those two was enough to cut his Force circulation down by 20%. Whether it was his Force control or output, it all took a hit.

Beyond that, Aphestus' instincts also told him that landing these tattoos also allowed Saels to see through his Force circulation as well, as though she had a connection to them. While her tattoos were hindering his Force circulation, she could sense this flow and predict his next action based on this.

It was truly a fearsome ability, indeed worthy of coming from a top disciple of Valiant Hall. In fact, if it wasn't for the lack of destructive ability, Aphestus would feel that this ability was even better than Raylion's. If Aphestus was honest, Sael's ability might even be at a higher evolutionary stage than Raylion's too.

But, there was a difference between Sael and Raylion..

Aphestus grinned a toothy grin when Sael didn't respond.

"I guess it's about time I get serious. It's a shame, big chested beauty.. You would think you would have realized by now that a fancier ability doesn't necessarily make you more powerful."

At that moment, the change to Aphestus' eyes set, his eyes glowing with a radiant yellow as the sun continued to set.

His muscles wiggled and writhed, seemingly intent on bursting out from Aphestus' tanned layer of skin.

If Sael's ability made her a radiant diamond, Aphestus ability was just a copper coin found by the road side.

Sael could use all these beautiful tattoos and flower petals. As for Aphestus, his ability was known simply from its title: Beast Mimicry.

[Author's note: stay away Kiba]

Aphestus could copy the physique of any beast he consumed the meat of into a humanoid figure. It allowed him their agility, their flexibility, their strength and their instincts all in a human form.

Of course, he could do this with beasts only powerful to a certain limit. Or, rather, the more powerful the beast, the more of its meat he would need. Even a lower level beast would need tens of carcasses for him to devour.

However, even though Aphestus could do so with any beast, he didn't. Rather, there was just one beast he liked to consume. One of the most powerful beasts of Valiant Heart Mountain..

The Black Patterned Jaguar.

Aphestus' canines grew, his body crouching.

Sael's pupils constricted.

BANG!

The ground beneath Aphestus' feet cracked, the wind pressure of his sudden movement blowing the vines that had been near his feet away.

In a flash, he appeared before Sael.

With quick reactions, Sael countered the punch of his dagger, aiming for his head. She didn't block in the slightest. She directly pitted her determination against Aphestus' as though she couldn't sense the blade striking toward her liver.

However, Aphestus was dauntless. Mid-flight, his shoulder dropped and his neck curled to one side.

Sael immediately realized that if the trajectory of her punch were to continue, she would mere take a small chunk of Aphestus' shoulder. But, if she didn't pull back, her torso would be stabbed through.

historical

Sael abandoned her thoughts of countering, retreating instantly. But it was then that her irises rotated by yet another petal. This was her true goal. As long as this tattoo landed, a 30% decline wasn't something even Aphestus' ability could bridge the gap of.

However, almost instantaneously, Aphestus' strike came to a grinding halt at the same time.

As though an agile jaguar, his muscles flexed all at once, his body hopping to one side.

It was then that Sael's irises stopped rotating, but there was no third tattoo that appeared on Aphestus.

Eye-sight was near instantaneous. But, as expected, the flower pattern had to travel through the air to land, making it avoidable. And, if Aphestus was correct, Sael wouldn't be able to prepare another for another few minutes.

He leapt forward, his daggers raining down in a combination of feints and sharp attacks.

Sael landed a heavy foot backward, the blades hovering around her feet cracking the ground. But, at that moment, rather than helping her, they were a hindrance.

When Sael went to lift her foot to take another step back and reposition herself for a counter, the split moment it took for her to pull out were all Aphestus needed.

He closed the distance between them, his daggers sweeping across and causing arcs of crimson to bloom.

Sael narrowly dodged, her gaze flashing with anger when she realized that Aphestus almost ripped her chest band in two. Was he still trying to humiliate her?

In the next instant she winced, feeling a deep slice run through her torso.

"Sael!" Gersan roared from the sidelines.

Aphestus' attack was relentless. The moment Sael suffered her first injury, it wasn't long before she suffered a second, then a third. As though a beast cornering their prey, Aphestus' gaze bore down, he stalked forward, her momentum increasing and his canines glistening.

His body became a lethal killing machine. His close combat ability was off the charts. His reaction time, his combination attacks, his counters. Each was more furious than the last.

With just his two arms, he seemed capable of battling all of Sael's vines alone with her own arms and feet simultaneously. A single one of his strikes could sever a vine and counter her blade infused punches. A single swing of his blade could tear a cut into her delicate skin and push her further into the pits of despair.

The reversal was near instantaneous, and it only occurred to a single mistake, a single lapse.

But in a battle of experts, this was all it took.

Sael was pushed nearer to the end of the arena, her hatred brimming forth so fiercely that unshed tears brimmed at her eyes. However, what did fall wasn't those tears, but rather the blood from her popped blood vessels as she tried again and again to use her ability, only for Aphestus to dodge as though he could predict her action before she took them.

The members of Valiant Hall clenched their fists. Many shouted for Sael to just give up, but she didn't seem to hear any of them as the blood fell from her cheeks.

Aphestus cocked his hip back, his torso flexing as his leg whipped forward.

It seemed to be the same strike he started the battle with, a devastating kick to the head capable of decapitating such a frail beauty. However, compared to then, after activating his ability in full, it was more than three times as lethal.

Sael reacted quickly, putting up her arms to block. But, this action was as good as giving up her arms for the rest of the battle. She already knew what would happen.

It was then the words were spoken.

"I think that's enough. Valiant Hall has lost."

It was impossible to tell when exactly he appeared, but Leonel grabbed at Aphestus' leg while sweeping Sael in his other arm.

BANG!

Both Leonel and Sael were sent flying, skidding across the arena and almost falling over another side.

Leonel whistled, looking at his hand just as he managed to steady his feet from falling over the edge. He couldn't help but smile a bit bitterly.

'Seems my wrist is fractured.'

He looked down at Sael who seemed to have all but collapsed from exhaustion. Shaking his head, he walked down from the arena without looking back at Aphestus.

Withstanding the furious gazes of the Valiant Hall members, he handed Sael who had fallen unconscious to Gersan.

"Let's go." Leonel said to Aina. "Let them have their fun for now."

Leonel looked over his shoulder one last time, his gaze locking onto Raylion. A small smile tugged at his lip before he left.

An odd atmosphere hung over the arena.